Wellfleet writer's 'Oblomov' brings Russian classic to U.S.

If you mention "Oblomov" in Russia, chances are people will know who and what you're talking about. The 19th-century novel (and political satire) about a man who rarely leaves his bed is a classic there, inspired a "sloth"-defined noun from its title character, and was even referenced once in a Lenin speech.

If you mention "Oblomov" in Russia, chances are people will know who and what you're talking about. The 19th-century novel (and political satire) about a man who rarely leaves his bed is a classic there, inspired a "sloth"-defined noun from its title character, and was even referenced once in a Lenin speech.

If you say "Oblomov" to Americans? Eh?

An American who knows the story and character backward and forward, though, is Wellfleet playwright Kevin Rice, and he's hoping to spread the word. So far, he says, Americans who have been introduced to the sympathetic, often comic character have "fallen in love" with "the prince of procrastination," but more just need to know his story.

"Oblomov is an observer, an inert character, a philosopher "» who criticizes doing, doing, doing," Rice says, explaining why "oblomovism" in Russia means slothfulness or inertia. "In the play, he meets a woman and, for the first time in his life, he wants to respond and he can't. Many parts of (the story) are very, very funny, but there's a lot of depth to it, too."

Rice, who has academic degrees in Russian language and literature, wrote a 12-actor stage adaptation of "Oblomov" that debuted to acclaim in 2002 at the Sakha Theater in Yakutsk, Russia, where it ran in repertory for two years. After long urging from friends, he's translated the script back to English and reworked it (the play now has three actors), and the show is having its American premiere at Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater.

Rice was one of six co-founders of WHAT back in the 1980s, and has had three plays previously produced there. He's now artistic director at Payomet Performing Arts Center in North Truro and says he's "ecstatic" that WHAT wanted to give his play a full production. (It had also had a successful reading as "Oblomov in Love" last winter at the Academy of Performing Arts in Orleans.)

WHAT "is a great regional, professional company "» and I want theater to remain a core of what they do. I'm happy to be part of it," he says. "It's to their credit that they're taking a chance with this."

Longtime friend Daisy Walker (daughter of WHAT co-founder Dan Walker) is directing, and Rice has been rewriting during rehearsals based on feedback from what he considers a brilliant cast: professional actors Michael Pemberton as Oblomov, Valerie Stanford as his mother and potential love interest Olga, and Michael Samuel Kaplan in eight roles that Rice says "literally create a whirlwind around Oblomov, who's a static, stationary guy."

"With these great actors and a great director, I'd be a fool not to make (the script) as good as it could be," he says. "These actors are so good that they're helping me shape it, refining every word and every beat."

When asked for a closer-to-home comparison to how well author Ivan Goncharov's Oblomov is known in Russia, Rice mentions the character here of Don Quixote. He notes the two stories are often mentioned together in theme, too, with Oblomov having a servant Zakhar likened to Sancho Panza. Oblomov "is a dreamer, a visionary, a seer who plans to reshape the future into a utopia," Rice says. "But he gets two sentences into a plan before he falls asleep and starts snoring."

And how much of what happens to him is reality and how much part of his dreams? That's for the audience to decide by the end of the play.

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It's been 10 years since Scott Storr conceived "All Our Best," a musical revue that raises money for Cape Rep Theatre but also reunites the company's artists for one big effort. Thirty-four actors and singers will combine forces for 8 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday that bring back moments from favorite past shows and preview what's to come.

Among the veteran performers this year will be Jared Hagan, Trish LaRose, Richard Sullivan, Wendy Watson and Jean Bates, who will re-create scenes from such shows as "Urinetown," "Sunday in the Park With George," "A Class Act," "Avenue Q" and "Mack & Mabel."

In a press release, Storr says he is awed by the number of actors who participate each year and looks forward to that magical moment with everyone on stage together. "I always get that emotional feeling when everyone is on stage. There's just nothing like it."

Shows are at Cape Rep's Indoor Theatre, Route 6A, East Brewster. Tickets are $30 and include complimentary champagne and intermission treats. Reservations: 508-896-1888 or www.caperep.org.

For more theater-related news and commentary, check out Kathi Scrizzi Driscoll's blog at www.capecodonline.com/stagedoor.